Tech & Tools Cleaning Your Vehicle – with “30Pack” Matt

30Pack Matt

C: What do you got in store for us today?

M: Today we are going to talk about cleaning your vehicle. It’s very important to clean an off-road vehicle because it helps you to spot cracks or parts that might be failing. It could be as simple as using a garden hose or pressure washer or even getting the degreaser out and cleaning off the light layer of oil or built up grease.

C: So, I got my pressure washer out, what am I doing?

M: First off, it would probably be best to soak all the mud that’s caked on and let it get soft again. Blast it all off, and don’t forget to get up on top of your skid-plate, underneath everything and around your exhaust. You always need to be careful about wiring and fuel lines, you don’t want to blow them off the frame. You also don’t want to spray directly at greased seals or bearings.

C: And degreasers, any tech tips there?

M: The purple stuff that all the parts stores are pedaling doesn’t work very well, but Simple Green has been around forever and it’s real gentle. It won’t mess up your paint or any of the metal. On the other end of the scale there are some ‘gnarly-er’ degreasers that will actually eat the surface of the metal and corrode your paint and tires; and it’s really gnarly stuff to get in your eyes and on your skin. You’ve got to be careful with it, so read the label.

C: I see that there are some tube buggies running around that don’t have any paint or powder coat on them; what’s the deal with that?

M: Well, most of those are race-oriented buggies. It helps when you’re racing, when you are pushing something to the limit. You can spot cracks and fatigue earlier if there’s no paint on it. It also goes back to what we talked about last week, if there’s no paint it’s easier to repair it. You don’t need to sand the paint off to weld.

C: What happens when a customer brings a dirty Jeep into a shop? (laughing)

M: Well, we actually had one customer ask for all their stock parts back, and we swept up and included all of the dirt that fell off their Jeep. We loaded it all into a box and put it in the back of their Jeep. They thought it was comical; but it was kind of annoying working on a vehicle with stuff falling in your eyes the whole time.

C: So it goes to show, keep your vehicle clean so you can continue to check for fractures and wear items, and make sure you guys clean your Jeep before you take it to a shop.

About

Bower Power Hour is a Bower Motorsports Media property. Bower Power Hour is a weekly, two hour news show dedicated to Motorsports, Powersports and the outdoor, off-road lifestyle. Bower Power Hour gives you an in depth look at racers, events, businesses and other aspects of the off-road world to bring you the nitty-gritty news of the off-road lifestyle that we all love. Hosted by Charlene Bower who has been serving the off-road industry for over 20 years.